


First Date

by waterbird13



Series: Tumblr Fics [418]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: First Date, Insecure Tony, M/M, Supportive Pepper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 16:49:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10858092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterbird13/pseuds/waterbird13
Summary: Tony needs the first date to go perfect. He needs to convince Rhodey that he made the right choice.Of course, the pressure gets to him.





	First Date

Tony’s known Rhodey for an incredibly long time. Which means Rhodey’s seen all his best and worst moments, seen him at his press smile best and his dumb genius worst. He knows everything about Tony.

Which, truth be told, is kind of what has Tony worried.

Tony knows Rhodey’s stuck around over the years for some indescribable personal reason, that it’s not just the money and connections and gadgets. Rhodey’s told him, and Tony knows. But honestly, Rhodey knows what a mess Tony is, and while maybe it’s okay to be friends with such an utter mess, Tony can’t understand why Rhodey would want to date such an utter mess.

“Should I…Paris?” Tony asks Pepper, sitting in her office. “Or is that too cliche? Somewhere more special, right? Or are cliches cliches for reasons, and I should stick to the classics so I don’t fuck things up, and…”

“Tony,” Pepper interrupts smoothly, talking right over him, which is probably smart, because it’s like his brain has split open and is spilling out of his mouth. “Think smaller.”

Tony pauses. “That new place in new York?”

“Smaller.” She seems to take pity on him, and reaches out to squeeze his hand. “Somewhere you and Rhodey would actually like. Somewhere you’d go if you were still just friends.”

Tony rears back at that, because he doesn’t want them to still be just friends, but Pepper has that look and she tends to understand people.

*

He makes the reservation, then changes his outfit. And changes again. And again. And again.

There’s a knock on his bedroom door and he curses, but opens it to find Rhodey, smiling, but the smile slips off.

“What’s wrong?” Tony asks, worried Rhodey’s going to cancel and it’ll be over already, before it even started.

“Pants?”

Tony looks down, flushes, shuts his door and pulls his pants on. No time to check the look; this one will just have to be the one.

He drives them to the restaurant, which is a tiny little Italian place that requires an act of God to park at. Rhodey’s got a small smile.

“Like that place in the North End we used to go to sometimes,” Tony says quickly.

“I remember,” Rhodey says. The small smile remains and Tony’s pretty sure he picked right, he should send Pepper a fruit basket or a raise or something for reigning him in.

Their table’s ready and they grab a seat, and Tony pulls out his napkin–paper, he was dedicated to the cheap Italian of their college days here–and puts it in his lap.

“I, uh, I…you have a good day?” Tony asks.

“Yeah, Tony,” Rhodey says. “It was fine.”

“Good, I…that’s good.”

Their waiter brings water and a wine list, but Tony hands it to Rhodey, not wanting Rhodey to think Tony’s going to get drunk tonight or anything.

“I think we’ll stick to water,” Rhodey tells the waiter.

Of course, that’s when Tony knocks his glass over, because as soon as Rhodey said it Tony decided he needed a sip, but moved too fast and the over-filled glass went toppling. Rhodey jumps when some lands on him and Tony feels like mud on a shoe.

Their waiter cleans it up, efficient rags moving across the table as he smiles gently and ignores Tony’s hurried, choppy apologies.

“Tony, what’s going on?” Rhodey asks.

“What…do you mean?” Tony hedges, staring at the little cheap candle. It can’t be over already. Rhodey only agreed to date him ten hours ago.

“You’ve torn your napkin to shreds,” Rhodey says, and Tony looks to see that he in fact did. “And you’re knocking things over, that’s not like you. And it’s like you forgot how to talk to me. Me. C'mon, Tones. You’ve known me forever.”

“I just…don’t want to mess this up,” Tony admits. “But I guess I did anyways, which, typical, right? Right. I’m sorry, and…” He’s just about to tell Rhodey to enjoy his dinner, even if it’s without Tony, when Rhodey gets up and moves around the table, crouching down a bit by Tony’s chair.

“Nothing’s changed,” Rhodey says softly. “We talk like always. We eat at the same restaurants as always. I’m just…gonna kiss you tonight, if you’re up for it, and hold your hand across the table if that’s okay, and steal your food and you’ll let me, now, it’s in the rule book.”

“There’s a rule book?” Tony asks, looking over, finally.

“Rule one says you have to let your date steal your food,” Rhodey says, smiling softly again. “Deep breaths, Tones. Nothing’s changed.”

Rhodey moves back to his seat as the waiter comes back with another class of water and a plate of bread. When he leaves again, Tony rests his own hand on the table, shy and unassuming. Hoping.

He doesn’t have to wait. Rhodey reaches for it, squeezes it, and continues to hold it until their entrees arrive.


End file.
